This invention relates to a novel method of making iron-electroplated aluminium or aluminium alloy materials, by which a selected or whole part of surfaces of aluminium or aluminium alloy in the form of a sheet for example is firmly electroplated by iron or iron alloy.
The materials made by this invention can widely be employed in various industries including an automobile industry and electric appliance industry. For example, in the automobile industry, there is every indication that aluminium and aluminium alloys will be employed as much as possible in order to lighten automobiles, while aluminium or aluminium alloys as they are can hardly be structural materials for automobiles.
In this view, aluminium or aluminium alloys, surfaces of which are iron-electroplated, have drawn our attention, because as they have advantageous features such as good spot-weldability, they could be structural materials for automobiles.
However, an iron layer which has been conventionally electroplated to aluminium or aluminium alloy surfaces, peels off occasionally.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of making iron-electroplated aluminium or aluminium alloy materials, plated iron layer of which can hardly peel off from its aluminium or aluminium alloy base, or can hardly cleave or fissure.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of making iron-electroplated aluminium or aluminium alloy materials, electroplated iron layer of which can stand well against frictional and other wears.
Other objects of this invention will be apparent hereinunder from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims.